Company Overview
MNL is a leading electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure company in Singapore, focused on providing end-to-end EV charging solutions with a strategic emphasis on private residential buildings and commercial spaces. Founded in 2021, when Singapore’s government was just beginning to formulate its green transportation blueprint, MNL has grown to become one of the top charge point operators for private residential buildings in Singapore.
With a forward-thinking approach, MNL offers comprehensive services including EV charger installation, maintenance, repair, and technical consultation. This initiative could potentially support Singapore’s Green Plan, which aims to achieve zero-carbon transportation by 2030.
MNL has leveraged its technical expertise to deliver reliable charging infrastructure across multiple sectors. Their growing network currently comprises more than 500 charge points in operation, with another 100+ in their deployment pipeline.
“Since partnering with AMPECO, we’ve managed to grow our infrastructure and deployments to over 500 charge points, with around 600 more in our pipeline. Throughout our four-year journey, AMPECO has been extremely helpful, providing timely information and helping us adapt to customer needs and fulfill authority requirements.”
Lai Yuan Weng,
Co-founder, MNL Asia
Challenges & Opportunities
When MNL began their EV charging journey in 2021, they faced several significant challenges in the fast-changing Singaporean market. Singapore’s government has implemented some of the most stringent regulations and requirements for EV charging operators. From cybersecurity standards to integration with government agencies, MNL needed a Charge Point Management System (CPMS) that could adapt to changing regulatory requirements.
Before partnering with AMPECO, MNL had attempted to work with other CPMS providers. However, these solutions couldn’t adequately meet local requirements, particularly regarding roaming services and government agency integrations. As the EV charging market in Singapore expanded from 11 operators to nearly 30, MNL needed to establish a competitive edge. Following the government’s implementation of more stringent benchmarks in December 2023, the market consolidated to a dozen of serious charge point operators, creating both challenges and opportunities for differentiation.
With a strategic focus on private residential buildings, MNL needed a solution that could cater to the specific needs of this market segment, including flexible payment options and user-friendly interfaces for residents. To support their ambitious growth plans, MNL required a charge point management platform that could scale with their business, accommodating their expanding network of charge points and enabling new features and services to stay ahead of their competitors.
“When there were regulatory requirements by the government, presenting with AMPECO’s CPMS system helped us achieve successful passing rates to operate. This gave us strong confidence from the very beginning that we finally made the right choice with AMPECO as our CPMS provider.”
Lai Yuan Weng,
Co-founder, MNL Asia
Solution
After evaluating several CPMS providers, MNL selected AMPECO’s platform to power their operations. The partnership, initiated in 2021, has provided MNL with a comprehensive solution tailored to their specific needs:
Regulatory Compliance and Government Integration
AMPECO’s platform has been instrumental in helping MNL meet the stringent regulatory requirements set by Singaporean authorities. When the government implemented new standards, AMPECO’s team quickly adapted the platform to ensure compliance. A critical achievement was the successful OCPI integration with Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA), which was essential for MNL to obtain and maintain their operating license. While many competitors struggled with this requirement, AMPECO’s customization capabilities enabled MNL to establish this vital connection seamlessly.
Flexible Payment Solutions
AMPECO supported MNL’s integration with BeepBeep, a payment terminal provider that connects over OCPI to the AMPECO back-office. This integration satisfied the government’s requirement for alternative payment methods beyond app-based payments, allowing users to maintain privacy through a simple “touch and go” payment option.
Enhanced EV Driver Experience Features
The platform has provided MNL with competitive differentiating features, particularly a capability that allows users to queue for charging stations when they’re occupied. This functionality has given MNL an edge over competing operators and improved the user experience.
Dynamic Load Management Capabilities
AMPECO’s dynamic load management features have enabled MNL to efficiently balance power distribution across their charging network. This capability has been particularly valuable for government tender requirements and helps protect Singapore’s national grid from stress.
Dynamic Load Management Capabilities
AMPECO’s dynamic load management features have enabled MNL to efficiently balance power distribution across their charging network. This capability has been particularly valuable for government tender requirements and helps protect Singapore’s national grid from stress.
Partner Module Access
MNL has leveraged AMPECO’s partner module to give selected project partners access to the back-end system, allowing them to control pricing and monitor usage. This functionality has improved collaboration and satisfied customer requirements for direct access.
API Capabilities for Data Export
The robust API capabilities of the AMPECO platform have allowed MNL to extract valuable data for reporting purposes, enabling them to fulfill monthly reporting requirements to government agencies efficiently.
Result
With AMPECO’s CPMS as their foundation, MNL has achieved significant milestones and established themselves as a leading player in Singapore’s EV charging market:
Market Leadership Position and Growth Potential
MNL has successfully positioned themselves as one of the top charge point operators for private residential buildings in Singapore. AMPECO’s platform underpins their network of over 500 charge points in operation, with the scalability to support their growing pipeline of deployments. Beyond their focus on private residential buildings, MNL has expanded into commercial markets, including private malls and office buildings, establishing a diverse portfolio of charging locations.
The company is on track to double the size of their network in the next 12-18 months, targeting the untapped market of private residential buildings in Singapore. With only about 400 out of 1,800+ potential private residential buildings currently equipped with EV chargers, MNL sees significant growth opportunities.
Regulatory Success
The company has successfully navigated three major regulatory changes over the past four years, each time meeting compliance requirements with AMPECO’s support. This has been particularly impressive to MNL’s shareholders and team, as many competitors have struggled to adapt to these changes.
Government Tender Participation
MNL has actively participated in government tenders, including the MHA Tender for installing EV charging stations at multiple police stations across Singapore. AMPECO’s platform has provided the necessary capabilities to meet the stringent requirements of these tenders.
Strategic Partnerships
MNL has established a valuable partnership with Schneider Electric, achieving “equal expert” status, which means leads on EV projects received by Schneider are directed to MNL. AMPECO’s compatibility with Schneider Electric hardware has significantly enhanced MNL’s outreach capabilities and partnership potential.
“The OCPI connection with the government agency was a critical requirement. Without the specific help given by AMPECO, we wouldn’t have been able to get the license necessary to operate in Singapore. Most CPMS providers serving my competitors haven’t met that requirement yet.”
Lai Yuan Weng,
Co-founder, MNL Asia
Looking ahead
MNL is well-positioned for continued growth and innovation in the Singapore EV charging market in collaboration with AMPECO. The company aims to become the leading charge point operator for private residential buildings in Singapore by the end of 2025, with plans to double their network size in the coming year. MNL is exploring several new platform features to enhance their competitive edge, including integration with Tribe (modular, future-ready payment technology) to provide a marketplace and loyalty points for users, implementation of OneSignal for more frequent notifications regarding idle fees, enhanced analytics capabilities through integration with SurplusMap for AI-powered utilization insights, and exploration of subscription-based payment models to provide predictable revenue streams and additional value to users.
Future plans include potential expansion into Thailand and Malaysia, leveraging the experience and technology stack developed in Singapore. MNL is also showing interest in emerging technologies like PlugNCharge, which would further streamline the charging experience for their users.
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